Chapter 58 - 5.3

"Reporting. Currently, Sir Julius and…Lady Emilia's vassal, Sir Subaru Natsuki,

are engaged in mock combat with wasters in the parade square."

 "…Eh?"

 Upon hearing the guard's report, Emilia's thoughts slipped out in a breathless

whisper.

 Stay calm, stay composed, the voice inside her kept saying. She didn't know

what it meant.

 "Wh-why would they be doing such a…?! The parade ground, you mean the

knights' building next to the royal palace, right? Julius and Subaru are…brawling

there?"

 Emilia could not conceal her bewilderment. The guard, however, could not let

one part go uncorrected.

 "Pardon me, but it is a mock combat. It is no brawl arising out of a personal

grudge, but a matter of Sir Julius's honor."

 His manner, on the verge of open disrespect, shook Emilia all the more

 deeply.

 She thought back to the war of words between Subaru and Julius in the

throne room. Neither had a good impression of the other, and if that was the

reason for a private duel…

 "Anyway, I need to stop this immediately. Lead me to this parade square…"

 Emilia was about to rush off to the square to talk some sense into them when

a high-pitched voice interceded—Anastasia's.

 "Ah, I think you oughta let them be."

 When Emilia turned, she saw that Anastasia had raised a hand, gathering

attention on her. Having moved from the throne room to a conference room,

the candidates were seated, with their associates at their side.

 Naturally, everyone else had heard the report as well. Anastasia continued, "I

want to make sure of somethin'. Who proposed this mock combat?"

 The guard replied, "I understand that Sir Julius did. However, because Sir

Subaru Natsuki accepted, we are in the present situation—"

 Anastasia gave the guard's reply a generous nod before looking back at

Emilia.

 "Ahh, that's fine, that's fine. I just needed to know it was Julius's idea—Since

Julius started it, I'm against stopping it."

 Anastasia's reply put her squarely at odds with Emilia.

 "Your knight and my…my friend, are clashing. Aren't you worried?"

 "Worried? About what? That Julius might go too far and make me pay to heal

your boy?"

 Anastasia tilted her head a little as she replied, looking mystified. Emilia was

at a loss for words.

 In the half-elf's place, Priscilla poked a small smile out from behind her fan.

 "Certainly. From what I saw, he is an incorrigible fool. I imagine he is having

his face rubbed into the dirt for a second time today out of excessive

stubbornness."

 Anastasia added, "Perhaps. Back in the hall, he had some nerve. Makes you

wanna look up to him—since someone probably threw him across the room."

 The ill-natured smiles the two were trading left Emilia unable to believe her

eyes, her voice quivering.

 "D-don't you have anything else to say…?"

 But only adding to her shock, Crusch broke her silence and announced her

own opposition to Emilia's view.

 "If Emilia's vassal had requested a duel, I would agree that it is correct to stop

them. However, since it is Sir Julius who requested it, and Emilia's vassal who

accepted, I believe stopping them is a mistake."

 "Why? I mean, Subaru isn't my…"

 "If you do not understand, no explanation shall suffice. Besides, though his

temper was quick, this is a necessary thing."

 Crusch cut Emilia off with a strong tone that did not allow further discussion.

Crusch, too, had taken a hard stance that Emilia should not get involved.

 The stalled conversation brought a sour expression to Felt's face before she

raised her voice in annoyance. "So why did that guard come to tell us about

this, anyway? I mean, it's one thing if you're gonna report before they start, but

why get all weak-kneed in the middle of it? Just wait for them to finish fighting

and tell us what happened after."

 Felt's question, posed with arms crossed and a bad attitude, made the

soldier's face visibly blanch. Marcus, sensing from his demeanor that something

was amiss, stepped in front of his subordinate and broke his silence.

 "Report."

 "S-sir! I have come to request orders because…the mock duel between Sir

Julius and Sir Subaru Natsuki is excessively one-sided!"

 "…What do you mean, one-sided?"

 "Sir Julius is surely holding back…but it does not appear that way."

 The guard seemed distressed, as if he'd seen such a miserable sight that he

 couldn't bring himself to look in Emilia's direction. That announced to all

present just what a terrible spectacle was occurring.

 That news was the last straw for Emilia, who threw her indecision to the wind

and rushed out of the room.

 "I have to stop them…!"

 She ran down the corridor toward the knights' garrison and the parade square

within.

 Once Emilia left, the room seemed on the brink of an uproar when Al raised

his hand and suggested, "So, how 'bout we follow the lady and take a look,

too?" he motioned toward the open door and shrugged his shoulder to Priscilla,

standing beside him. "You like this sort of thing, right, Princess? Watching a

ferocious beast toy with a weak critter."

 Priscilla lightly turned her back away from him as her charming laughter

shook her bountiful breasts.

 "Do not cast aspersions upon me with your petty delusions, Al. Well, I do

enjoy it… Very well. I wanted a break from this dreadfully long-winded talk,

anyway. Looking down upon a variety of fools and laughing at them is good for

the soul."

 The haggard guard broke out in an icy sweat as Priscilla thrust the tip of her

fan toward him.

 "Lead us to this parade square—I command it."